White Birch Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin113 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for White Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
White Birch Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 113 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Birch Lake. DNR survey details →
White Birch Lake is a 113-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What White Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. White Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether White Birch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for White Birch Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for White Birch Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about White Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Birch Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1998. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
113 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,686 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near White Birch Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing White Birch Lake
- → White Birch Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → White Birch Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → White Birch Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from White Birch Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.07 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
White Birch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10003969 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about White Birch Lake
Where is White Birch Lake?
- White Birch Lake is a lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of White Birch Lake?
- White Birch Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 113 acres.
Is White Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. White Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is White Birch Lake?
- White Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 113 acres.
What fish are in White Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in White Birch Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. White Birch Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at White Birch Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on White Birch Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at White Birch Lake?
- Public access to White Birch Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX36 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes